Stacking wood near a creek

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
  • Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
Status
Not open for further replies.

Beetle-Kill

Minister of Fire
Hearth Supporter
Sep 8, 2009
1,849
Colorado- near the Divide
I've got a decent area in back, ready for 10+ cord, but it's next to a year round creek. Year round my R/H is pretty low, and the wood will be beetle kill pine. Anyone see any problems with this location? Assume it will be elevated on pallets, or such.
 
There won't be any appreciable difference in air humidity near the creek. Besides, even the humid microclimates in Colorado are drier than anywhere in my state, so you will be fine.
 
distinct possibility creek also provides for sunshine on stack and a chance for a breeze to waft across open area as well.
 
Breeze is not a problem, but the area only gets sun for a couple hours , both summer and winter. It's on the N/E edge of a large aspen grove. Other side of creek stays wet , even in summer. I think if I keep the stacks far enough off the ground, I'll get by.
 
I'd worry about the stream rising, but at 8200 feet that may not be an issue.

Matt
 
Not even in a fast melt would the creek get close to the wood. If it did, I'd be burning wood from the up-steam cabins that would have washed down canyon, and log-jammed in my backyard. Shudder at the thought.
 
I live in the mountains of north western Virginia (just under 2000') and its pretty darn damp here. we've got two streams and a spring going through my property and we only have a little over an acre!!! My wood shed is just above the intersection of the two streams and I've had no problems at all - well the only thing was once i split some green red oak and stacked it directly in the shed and it got a little moldy/fungusy. So what i do is split wood and leave it in stacks between trees in the yard for a year or so and then move into the shed after its already dry and its totally fine like that.

oh yeah, i do get water snakes around my wood piles because of the creek, but they aren't poisonous, and they head for the creek pretty fast when discovered. no problem.

oh and because we live in a hollow, we only get a couple hours of sun in the winter as well, and a couple more in the summer.
 
I've lived over 8000 ft. for over 16 years now. I can honestly count on one hand the number of times I've seen a snake up here. And they've been garter snakes. Find a snake up here and it draws a crowd, literally.
 
Sounds like your wood will be fine there. I'll tell you I'm 6ft 3'' and 270 I'll see a garter snake and have a complete breakdown...scream, run etc...don't know why I've always been freaked out by them, Gosh I can't imagine a water snake coming out of my wood pile. poisonous or not I think I would be back to running the furnace! We moved in here 2 years ago and I have killed about 20 garter snakes around my foundation (lot's of shale) I hope they get the hint and go somewhere else. Sorry getting off the thread here...any trout in that creek?
 
Where in CO are you? I lived in Fort Collins and then Englewood for 9 years. Me and the wife CO and Summit County. I haven't been on the slopes since getting back east. I refuse to here! There hills not mountains.
 
ratherbfishin said:
Sounds like your wood will be fine there. I'll tell you I'm 6ft 3'' and 270 I'll see a garter snake and have a complete breakdown...scream, run etc...don't know why I've always been freaked out by them, Gosh I can't imagine a water snake coming out of my wood pile. poisonous or not I think I would be back to running the furnace! We moved in here 2 years ago and I have killed about 20 garter snakes around my foundation (lot's of shale) I hope they get the hint and go somewhere else. Sorry getting off the thread here...any trout in that creek?

:ahhh: :lol:

Your aware garter snakes don't even have teeth right? Mostly eat worms, crickets, maybe small{tiny} fish & salamanders...
 
I LMAO thinking of that sight! :lol: Fish? Yup, mostly small Brookies and Browns, but the up-stream neighbor has 3 stocked pond, and on occasion I'm told a big 'Bow will make it out of the lower spillway and fart around for awhile.
 
That was for ratherbfishin- highlight didn't work. Arlo, I'm in Clear Creek, work in Summit, so you know my location. Through the tunnels twice a day, 5-6 days a week. I hate ski season (traffic)
 
I guess stacking by my creek wouldn't work, would it? No, that is NOT a swamp cypress but it is NEXT to the creek.
 

Attachments

  • [Hearth.com] Stacking wood near a creek
    Creek.webp
    127.5 KB · Views: 281
Most all creeks flood every now and then. Those
"100 year storms" are more common than ever.

I would stack it as high as possible and away from the creek.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.